More NJ drivers are starting to use dash cams

Police vehicles use them. And now a growing number of New Jersey drivers are putting dash cams in their cars.

According to Market Reports World, dash cam sales topped $23 billion last year and are expected reach almost $32 billion by 2022.

“We are seeing increased usage of dash cam video, of people in their personal vehicles using them,” said Tracy Noble, public relations manager for AAA MidAtlantic.

She said if a motorist is involved in an accident “and there is a dash cam in use, it could certainly aid in the investigation. But we need to remember it is showing a limited point of view.”

“The video could be credible if in fact it was never altered to favor the driver’s point of view and make their case," she said.

Noble said some types of higher-end dash cams record the driver and passengers in addition to what’s ahead on the road, so if there’s an accident and you’re going to give the video to police, “you need to make sure that the driver did not engage in any behavior that would have caused a crash. Things could go both ways.”

“If the driver was distracted or doing improper maneuvers on the roadway it can be a double-edged sword," she said.

So can a dash cam save you any money on your auto insurance?

Probably not, at least for now.

“To the best of my knowledge, currently insurance companies do not offer discounts,” she said.

Different dash cams come with different features and certain models will even give you an alert on your smart phone if there is motion detected in your vehicle indicating someone may be trying to break in.

“You can find models from say $30 to well over $500 depending on all of the bells and whistles they have," she said.

Noble pointed out using a dash cam to record nature scenes is a very good idea because it eliminates driver distraction but it needs to be placed “in a location in the vehicle where it’s not going to impede the driver’s vision.”